Updated: Perry Sues Over Virginia Ballot Access

Update, 12/27, 5:25 p.m.Rick Perry's campaign has filed suit in federal court challenging the constitutional validity of Virginia's ballot access rules. The Texas governor was notified last Friday that he had failed to submit the requisite number of valid signatures from registered voters in the Commonwealth and would not appear on the March 6 primary ballot.

"Gov. Perry greatly respects the citizens and history of the Commonwealth of Virginia and believes Virginia Republicans should have greater access to vote for one of the several candidates for President of the United States," Perry campaign communications director Ray Sullivan said in an email to reporters.

Rick Perry's campaign failed to gather 10,000 valid signatures from registered voters in Virginia — and as a result, the Texas governor will not appear on the Commonwealth's March 6 Republican presidential primary ballot.

"After verification, RPV has determined that Rick Perry did not submit the required 10k signatures and has not qualified for the VA primary," a GOP official said in a Tweet posted late Friday.

The Perry campaign had submitted a ballot petition with nearly 12,000 signatures to state election officials before the 5 p.m. deadline today.

“Hopefully, he will do better in other states,” former Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, the chairman of Perry's campaign in the Commonwealth, told The Washington Post.

Three other second-tier Republican candidates for president — U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman — submitted no petitions and, like Perry, won't be on the Virginia ballot.

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